IE9 Platform Preview 4 is available for developers, get ready for Beta!

In March, 2010 Microsoft promised to deliver platform preview releases of Internet Explorer 9 with interval of 8 weeks. With this installment, Microsoft has made available the forth platform preview for developers. It is the final release of Platform Preview of IE9 (v 1.9.7.9.16.6000) with massive JavaScript-related improvements, with the new Chakra engine.

The release offers consistent, fully hardware-accelerated text, graphics, and media, both audio and video. With HTML5 and hardware acceleration, Modern SVG is an excellent choice for a new class of interactive, animated scenarios. Besides, the new JavaScript engine, codenamed Chakra has integrated as a core part of IE9, through this deep integration, the performance of real world websites significantly improves, and IE9 becomes the first browser to have a shared DOM between the browser and the script engine based on ECMAScript5.

IE9 has implemented more of the standards that developers use and value, IE9’s Acid3 score has continued to rise, whereas Platform Preview 3 received a score of 88/100 on the Acid 3 test while PP4 scores 95/100.

Dean Hachamovitch, IE General Manager says:

The fourth Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 9, available now, shows the opportunity of fully hardware-accelerated HTML5. You can run new test drive samples that show modern SVG and native JavaScript integration in action.

With the fourth Platform Preview, Microsoft recommends developers, designers, and partners to start getting your sites ready for the IE9 Beta. Platform Preview 4 is an important milestone on the way to beta. It is the last preview before the IE9 Beta.